Chapter 06 – Future Meetings Guidelines for Core Group
Meeting Purpose
What is the purpose of each Association meeting? What are you trying to accomplish during that time? Meetings are usually about information exchange. People who come to the meeting attend to learn something or to educate others about something.
Tip
Neighborhood Associations in Rochester often have a variety of subjects and speakers present at their meetings. Use your imagination and take ideas from your neighbors.
A few speaker ideas include:
Crime Prevention Unit highlighting seasonal safety tips at • 328-6890
Public Library outlining services they offer • 328-2300
City Traffic Engineer speaking on neighborhood traffic concerns • 281-6194
Principal from a neighborhood school talking about what students are accomplishing
Police officer speaking about convicted offenders living in or moving to your neighborhood • 328-7240
City Forester focusing on proper tree planting and care • 287-7191
Ambulance service on CPR and other life saving tips • 255-2808
Participation
Once you clarify the purpose, be sure essential people can attend. If you’d like to inform residents about what is happening to the corner property, be sure someone who has that information attends, or provides that information. If there is someone who must be there (a speaker, public official, or facilitator) check with their schedules before setting the date.
Attendance
How will you get people to attend? Generally an email, letter, or flyer by itself does not ensure people will put aside the demands of work and family life to get to the meeting. A personal follow-up call often is what inspires people to come to a meeting. You can divide this task between your core group.
Materials and “Props”
Consider also, what information people need ahead of time or at the meeting. If the meeting is to present complicated material, preparing handouts ahead of time will be useful. It will prevent people from showing up at the meeting, realizing that they can’t possibly react to the information until they have taken time to digest it, and then leaving feeling as if they wasted their time. Having something as simple as a map or photographs can avoid circular discussions about where a lot is located, or the condition it is in.
Agenda
Thinking ahead about the meeting agenda is critical. What topics should be covered during the hour people are together? How much time should be allotted to each item? Who should cover the item?
A word of caution: Do not try to cover more items than realistically possible. Nothing is worse than people leaving (or feeling impatient) toward the end of the meeting because it is running over time.
When planning the agenda, think of an inviting way to open the meeting – have people introduce themselves; and go over a recap from the last meeting. Also, be sure to state at the beginning the purpose of that particular meeting.
End the meeting with a brief summary of any important decisions or items and any assignments. Make sure people leave knowing what will happen next.
Meeting Leadership
If there are ongoing meetings, generally the group selects a president or chairperson and that person is responsible for conducting the meeting. If the president wants to participate in discussions, however, someone else can be asked to facilitate the meeting – either a group member who does not have a strong opinion about the topic, or someone from outside the group who works with the group and knows the group’s culture and dynamics.
Notes
Minutes are the traditional way to keep track of the group’s decisions and progress, they are crucial. Notes are most useful if they are sent out soon after the meeting, especially if there are assignments or follow-up items. This also allows members who may miss a meeting keep current and feel involved.